


Self Indulgence Amongst Overcast Skies

by xxxbookaholic



Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Bad Parenting (mentioned), Bittersweet Ending, First Meetings, Fluff and Angst, Lack of Communication, M/M, Oma Kokichi Needs a Hug, Pining, Snow, Snow Day, Winter, its mutual but that isnt mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-17 13:34:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29472525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xxxbookaholic/pseuds/xxxbookaholic
Summary: In a world where life was like an impossible game of BS, there could only be one victor, and Kokichi was planning on taking that spot alone. There was no place in his heart for detective apprentices with hearts of gold, no matter how much his own mind screamed and begged for peace.The sooner he got used to the truth, the better.
Relationships: Oma Kokichi/Saihara Shuichi
Comments: 1
Kudos: 32





	Self Indulgence Amongst Overcast Skies

Throughout all of his life, Kokichi had never known rules. His parents were laid back and tried their best to teach him that more than anything else, it was his own urges that mattered most. There were never any punishments, never any consequences for his actions. Many times in his life, he’d been complimented for having such easy-going people in his life. _“Your life must be so easy!”_ They’d say over lunch, chewing on premade udon and sipping juice boxes of all flavors. 

They were wrong; if anything, a world without karma was more boring than anything else in the world, even filthy Miu from Class B and stinky Kaito from Class D. In order to combat such a dull world, he tried his best to get any kind of attention he could, whether it be by drawing all over his classmate’s face, shoving kids into lockers, and talking back to his teachers, but nothing ever worked. It didn’t matter how hard he tried; Kokichi was always forgiven for anything and everything he did.

That was why he’d decided to take things to the extreme. Snow fell all around him, his purple jacket lay discarded on the powdery ground, and Kokichi sat in the center of it all, looking out onto a field that felt more like home than his own house ever had before.

How long would it take them to notice, he wondered. _Maybe an hour, if I’m lucky._ His mom had been cooking dinner when he walked out the door, so she probably wouldn’t be the one to come get him. His dad was doing paperwork, but he usually checked in on him within five-hour intervals, meaning that he was bound to realize he’d disappeared soon.

But then again, the question still remained of, even if they did notice, what next? Chances were, they’d just give him a few calls and, if he didn’t answer that, they’d leave a singular voice mail to come home before ten. 

Kokichi sighed as he watched the gray air puff out of his mouth in spurts, reminding him of just how cold he’d become. Snowflakes hung on his eyelashes and blurred his vision, but he didn’t bother wiping them away. If he couldn’t see his own breath in front of his face, Kokichi would have suspected that he was dying. 

If he had any common sense, he would’ve pulled his coat back on and began the trek home immediately. Hypothermia really wasn’t worth it, no matter how much attention it got him. But giving up would make him a coward, and if there was one thing Kokichi Ouma was _not_ , it was a quitter. So he stayed, watching flakes dance around him without a rhythm of their own and trying his best to cancel out the effect said flakes had on him. 

His train of thought was interrupted by a flash of blue in the corner of his eye. Kokichi jumped up to attention immediately, hands digging into the ground as he tried to get a better look at the intruder, but upon further inspection, he realized it was no real danger at all. Just a teenage boy taking a walk in the snow, book in one hand and discarded scarf in the other.

_Well, I might as well make the most of my prolonged time out here._ “Hey!” Kokichi called, waving his hand up in the air. At the scream, the boy whipped his head around, eyes wide. “What are you doing in this kind of weather? Up to no trouble, I assume?”

“What? No!” The boy yelled back, still not moving from his spot. “I’m just looking for a spot to read. There’s nothing wrong with that!” Reading on a weekend? It was a joke at first, but now, Kokichi was starting to seriously consider calling the police on him. Pretty boy or not, some crimes just couldn’t go without damnation.

Kokichi giggled, holding a hand over his semi-cracked lips. “That’s what a criminal would say, though!” he pointed out, back straight and eyebrows raised to his hairline. He had no doubt in his mind that he looked awfully intimidating; Kokichi had practiced this expression in the mirror so often that he was pretty certain he could do it in his sleep.

The boy just sputtered back, somehow looking even more bewildered than he had before. “You seem more like a criminal than me,” he accused, crossing his arms. Kokichi could just barely see him narrow his eyes from across the snowy field, displaying nothing less than complete and utter distrust. _Interesting,_ he thought, his smile growing from a menacing smirk to an excited grin.

“Ooh, you caught me!” He replied, fisting his hands under his chin in one swift motion. “Welp, if you want to arrest me, you’re going to need to come closer!”

It felt like hours had passed before the boy finally took a deep, shuddering breath and walked over. Hesitantly, he flopped onto the ground so they were sitting across from each other. “Why are you actually out here?”

Kokichi couldn’t answer; not because he didn’t know how to, not because he couldn’t think of a convincing lie, but rather, because his breath had vanished from his lungs the moment the boy sat down. Calling him entranced would be an understatement. Everything about the stranger was just so beautiful; he fit into the winter wonderland scenery better than anyone Kokichi had ever met. With navy hair that twirled in the wind and a gentle kind of look in his eyes, all Kokichi could think was, _shit._

“Why do you want to know, officer?” Despite his best efforts to pull himself together, even he couldn’t deny the way his voice cracked in between sentences. Thankfully, the boy didn’t seem to notice. “I already told you, I didn’t burn down that church!”

The boy raised a brow. “I’m definitely not a police officer.” _Wow! A literal child isn’t an officer? What an astute observation!_ There was something about the way he looked at Kokichi, like he was solving a complicated equation, that got the purple-haired boy’s heart racing more than any cold ever could.

“Stop lying! I hate liars!” Kokichi pouted back, planting his hands on his hips as best as he could. Goosebumps ran up and down his arms, stiffening his skin and making it hard to so much as shift his weight.

“It isn’t a lie,” the boy argued in return, mouth twisted into a half-frown. 

“Well, you didn’t give me your name,” Kokichi explained, leaning his head back dramatically, “so your name is officer!” _Not my best work, but it’ll do._

“Oh,” the boy mumbled, and then his eyes widened. “Oh! Right, I’m sorry. My name is Shuichi Saihara,” he held out a hand but Kokichi didn’t take it, instead opting to lean forward and school his face into his best possible smirk.

“Wow, thanks! Now that I know your name, I can do an extensive search on you, your family, and all of your friends.” Kokichi’s voice raised the more he spoke, echoing around the park and leaving a nails-against-chalkboard effect on any birds close enough to hear him. 

Shuichi didn’t even look taken aback anymore, just annoyed beyond recognition. “You never answered my question,” he said, brows creased in the middle.

“Huh? What question?” Kokichi continued to stall, lacing his fingers behind his neck childishly. “I don’t remember you asking anything! You’re so weird, Saihara-chan.”

“ _Chan_?” Shuichi repeated before shaking his head and trying again. “Why are you out here?”

Kokichi forced his face to go blank. “To murder you and dispose of the body.”

Shuichi flinched at the implication but still didn’t leave, standing his ground better than any of Kokichi’s classmates ever had. _He gets used to things quickly_ , he noted. _Interesting._ “I’ll tell you why I’m out here if you tell me why you are.”

“You already told me why you’re here, silly!” Kokichi laughed, shaking his head. Seriously, did Shuichi think he was stupid? Maybe he’d have to reevaluate his opinion on him. “You’re looking for a place to read. It’s pretty obvious, too.”

“Doesn’t it seem weird that I’m trying to read in the middle of a snowstorm?” Shuichi asked, blinking slowly. If he didn’t have such soft eyes, he might’ve made a good liar, what with his carefully neutral expression and tightly-shut lips.

“It’s not that surprising for someone like you,” Kokichi replied, waving his hand as if brushing aside the statement.

Shuichi’s expression didn’t change as he said, “you don’t even know me, though?”

“Pssh! Details, details!” Kokichi blew a cherry, rolling his eyes up to the sky. It was entertaining at first, but he was beginning to be annoyed now. “Look, Saihara-chan, I don’t care why you’re being an idiot and walking around in the cold. In fact, I couldn’t care less! I hope you die of hypothermia!” He lied easily. The truth was this: if someone as beautiful as Shuichi were to freeze to death, the world might end as they know it.

“You don’t mean that,” Shuichi denied, sitting up straight. “I’m sure of it.” It didn’t even matter that goosebumps were spreading across his arms and winter air was making his cheeks red; Shuichi’s certainty made Kokichi’s skin burn uncomfortably. It felt like he was looking directly at his soul and analyzing his very heart, gaze analytical and fingers curled. 

“You don’t even know me, though,” Kokichi mocked him instead of voicing his thoughts, putting his index finger over his lip once more. For the first time in years, he wasn’t one-hundred-percent sure his face was less than a blushing mess.

With the way Shuichi groaned in irritation and fell back into the snow, he assumed the answer to that worrisome thought was no. “Come on, please? You’re killing me!”

“That was my goal all along,” Kokichi shrugged, beginning to stand up and wipe the snow off his pants. “Well, have fun dying! I’ll be off now.”

“You aren’t going home,” Shuichi shook his head, still not getting up from his spot on the ground. “If that was your plan, you wouldn’t have called me over in the first place.”

Kokichi froze in place for a moment, looking down at the strange boy. _What is he, some kind of detective?_ Finally, he dropped back down across from him, smile plastered on like it was being held together with glue. “Wowzers, you totally get me, Saihara-chan! Maybe we were lovers in a past life or something?”

Shuichi twitched at the outburst and, even as his hand hid his cheeks from view, Kokichi could see the way his ears went a pretty shade of pink. His reactions were amusing, at least. _Maybe it won’t hurt to stay for a bit longer._

So, he did. Kokichi spent the next few hours telling (heavily exaggerated) stories about his childhood and teasing the boy in front of him, and in turn, Shuichi told him quite a lot about himself.

He was a detective’s apprentice, which explained his uncanny ability to see right through Kokichi’s intentions, and wasn’t very close with his parents. _That makes two of us,_ he thought but didn’t say, scooping up handfuls of snow and then letting them flutter to the ground in clumps.

Kokichi tried his best not to give too much away; the last thing he wanted was to explain his whole life story to a total stranger. Still, he couldn’t help but spill a little bit to Shuichi, and really, could you blame him?

Shuichi listened to every word he said, whether it be the truth or completely and utterly insane. Pretty soon, Kokichi forgot he was cold at all. Or at least, he did until Shuichi asked, “hey, are you going to put on your jacket? It’s under thirty degrees.”

“Are you worried about me?” Kokichi teased, eyes bright. When he got a nod in response, he crossed his arms. “Well, don’t be! I haven’t felt cold since I was three. That’s why I’m out here.”

“I don’t think that’s the case,” Shuichi laughed, albeit a bit forced. “You’ve been shivering the whole time we’ve talked.”

“I was faking that,” Kokichi said, tilting his head to the side. “You know, cause I’m a liar.”

“So you’ve said,” Shuichi rolled his eyes and reached behind him to grab his coat. “Come on, your parents will be worried if you come home half dead.”

“I’m not going home,” Kokichi frowned but let his newfound friend lay the fabric over his shoulders anyway.

“Why’s that?” Shuichi asked, pulling away but not bringing his hand away from Kokichi’s shoulder. He looked genuinely concerned, his eyes cloudier than the overcast skies. As he scanned Shuichi’s worried gaze, only one thought managed to pass through Kokichi’s head; _a stranger shouldn’t get to see him like this, so vulnerable and pathetic. I need to leave._

“None of your business!” He declared. “It was a lie, anyways. In fact, I should be getting back now. You’re totally boring me!” That was probably the biggest lie he’d said that whole evening, actually. Shuichi was the total opposite of boring. He sliced through deceit like a knife through butter, finding truth after truth and never once missing. (Besides when he forgot that penguins couldn’t fly, anyway.)

But on the other hand, that was the scariest thing about him. If he could see through things so easily, how long would it take for him to shove away the shield covering Kokichi’s true feelings and crack him open? He’d get bored for sure, just like Kokichi already had.

That was why he had to leave. If he could escape soon enough, he’d leave an impression on Shuichi that would leave him yearning for more. It was the type of more that he would never get, _could_ never get, but that was the point, wasn’t it? If he never saw Kokichi again, there would be no room for disappointment, no space for heartbreaking truths amongst redeemable lies. 

“Oh,” Shuichi mumbled, casting his eyes downward. “I guess I’ll start reading, then. We’ll see each other again soon, right?”

“Never!” Kokichi confirmed before turning around and running in the other direction, his eyes stinging. Whether it was from the freezing cold or pain in his chest, one could only guess. 

He wanted to hide far, far away in a distant land, he wanted to halt in his steps and run back to Shuichi. But Kokichi knew those two ideals couldn’t coexist in the world they lived in, so he just kept his eyes ahead and feet on the ground, refusing to turn around for even a second. 

So there he went, back into the house that would be his paradise if it wasn’t such a nightmare.

His mom didn’t give him a second glance when he walked inside. _What a sweet way to greet her only son,_ Kokichi thought to himself, forcing a smile onto his face. He chirped a few joyful greetings, like, “hello,” and, “how’s dinner going,” but all she answered with was a tiny nod and tight frown. Figures.

Later that night, Kokichi told himself to stop thinking about the boy in the snow, to stop imagining what it would be like to look into those gray eyes and find himself truly _home_ , but no matter how hard he tried, he simply couldn’t rid his mind of such childish fantasies. So against his better judgement, he allowed himself to indulge.

_Just this once,_ he promised, twisting around until his blankets bunched over his shoulders and hair pooled over the pillow at awkward angles, dreaming of nothing but mystery novels and navy blue hair. _Just this once, and then never again._

Because in a world where life was like an impossible game of BS, there could only be one victor, and Kokichi was planning on taking that spot alone. There was no place in his heart for detective apprentices with hearts of gold, no matter how much his own mind screamed and begged for peace.

The sooner he got used to the truth, the better.

**Author's Note:**

> i hope you enjoyed the fic! this is actually pretty old and has been in my drafts for a while, but i just now got around to editing and posting it. because of this, it isn't my best work, and very much differentiates from my current writing style (im just now realizing how much my stories have changed since the beginning of this year, lmao), but i hope it was good regardless! please leave a comment if you liked the story; it really encourages me.   
> my tumblr is xxxbookaholic if you're interested!  
> have a nice rest of your day/night. <3


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